Kindle earns 64 years in prison

LIMA — A woman who allowed her children to be used in a sex trafficking operation was sentenced Wednesday to 64 years in prison on various charges.

Crystal Kindle, 39, showed great remorse as Allen County Common Pleas Court Judge David Cheney sentenced the Lima woman on charges that included complicity to attempted rate, compelling prostitution, illegal use of a minor in nudity-oriented material and trafficking in persons for hire.

Two of the counts include specifications that tie the charges to human trafficking, as defined by the Ohio Revised Code.

Kindle was indicted in February 2017 on three counts of attempted rape, four counts of gross sexual imposition, unlawful sexual conduct with a minor, four counts of compelling prostitution with human trafficking specification, four counts of promoting prostitution with human trafficking specification, six counts of endangering children with human trafficking specification, 19 counts of illegal use of minor in nudity-oriented material or performance with human trafficking specification, and four counts of trafficking in persons-commercial sex acts.

In February, Kindle agreed to a negotiated plea settlement offered by prosecutors that called for her to plead guilty to complicity to attempted rate, compelling prostitution, illegal use of a minor in nudity-oriented material and trafficking in persons for in exchange for the state’s dismissal of all remaining charges.

Kindle’s case is linked to the crimes committed by Ronald Payne, who was sentenced in December 2016 to 30 years in prison on numerous sex charges related to crimes against children between Jan. 1, 2014, and Jan. 27, 2015. One of the victims was a 12-year-old girl and the other was a 15-year-old girl.

Officials said the crimes began with Kindle giving Payne photos of one of the victims in exchange for money. It progressed to the 12 year old going to Payne’s home. Payne then sexually assaulted the girl, according to court documents. He did the same to the 15 year old, telling her if she didn’t want her younger sister to be subjected to him, the older child could take her place.

Prosecutors during previous court hearings said Kindle used the money to fund her drug habit.